Two Writing Teachers Podcast: Stacey's Picks
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Sign up todayWe Must Not Think of Ourselves
Length
9 hours 2 minutes
Language
English
Narrators
Brad Griffith, Jesse Vilinsky, Sharon Freedman, Amir Levi & Rich Keeble
This audiobook uses AI narration.
We’re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.
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“It's November of 1940. The Warsaw Ghetto is a residential neighborhood in Poland, but one from which no-one is allowed to leave. It is the same as a prison camp and the 'residents' are all awaiting an uncertain future. Now, of course, we know what happened to them eventually. But in this story, a man named Adam is working for the underground, of a sort. He is an archivist who is listening to and capturing the stories of the others in the Ghetto. Their pasts, their dreams for the future, and their fears about what is going to happen to them and their loved ones. These people who were dehumanized were made human again on these pages. So many WWII novels, but based on real history and archival evidence, this is "one for the books" - and I'm not being facetious! What a read. Book clubs take notice!”
— Linda • Auntie's Bookstore
From a New York Times bestselling author Lauren Grodstein, a story inspired by a little-known piece of history in the lives of Jewish occupants of the Warsaw Ghetto in World War II. Called a "masterpiece", and as seen on The Today Show with Jenna pick (Madeline Miller).
On a November day in 1940, Adam Paskow becomes a prisoner in the Warsaw Ghetto, where the Jews of the city are cut off from their former lives and held captive by Nazi guards to await an uncertain fate. Weeks later, he is approached by a mysterious figure with a surprising request: Would he join a secret group of archivists working to preserve the truth of what is happening inside these walls?
Adam agrees and begins taking testimonies from his students, friends, and neighbors. One of the people Adam interviews is his flatmate Sala Wiskoff, who is stoic, determined, and funny—and married with two children. Over the months of their confinement, in the presence of her family, they fall in love. But when Adam discovers a possible escape from the Ghetto, he is faced with an unbearable choice: whom can he save, and at what cost ?
Inspired by the testimony-gathering project with the code name Oneg Shabbat, and told with immediacy and heart, We Must Not Think of Ourselves is a piercing story of love, determination, and sacrifice.
Lauren Grodstein is the author of Our Short History, The Washington Post Book of the Year The Explanation for Everything, and the New York Times-bestselling A Friend of the Family, among other works. Her stories, essays, and articles have appeared in various literary magazines and anthologies, and have been translated into French, German, Chinese, and Italian, among other languages. Her work has also appeared in Elle, The New York Times, Refinery29, Salon.com, Barrelhouse, Post Road, and The Washington Post. She is a professor of English at Rutgers University-Camden, where she teaches in the MFA program in creative writing.
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Reviews
"This book is a masterpiece: profound, gripping, urgent, and beautiful. In its clear-eyed and devastating portrait of the past, Grodstein invites us into the present; to bear witness to the lives that have come before us, while finding meaning and courage for our own." ——Madeline Miller, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Circe and The Song of Achilles“In We Must Not Think of Ourselves, Lauren Grodstein writes with such a blazing commitment to the truth of the Warsaw Ghetto that sometimes I had to stop reading and catch my breath. But in the midst of the brutality, she clears a path for the parallel stories of love and decency. Make no mistake: this is a heartbreaking portrait of a dark moment. But this novel shimmers with light.”
——Lauren Fox, New York Times bestselling author of Send for Me We Must Not Think of Ourselves is one of those rare books—beautifully written, seamlessly constructed, quietly devastating—that manages to tell an old story in a new way with no pyrotechnics beyond perfect storytelling, including an ending that will stay with me always. It is far and away my favorite novel of the year, of many years, and I know I will be recommending it to readers forevermore.——Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author of One Two Three “Grodstein brings to life a critical piece of history with her strong sense of place and complex characters... [The Oneg Shabbat archive] is represented beautifully in Grodstein’s first historical novel, supported by her intensive research and the book’s dynamic relationships that show the value of everyday intimacies. Recommended for readers who enjoy stories from all time periods about the extraordinary actions of ordinary people.”——Library Journal “[A] moving chronicle, a worthy tribute to those who fought to survive the unthinkable.”——Booklist “This heart-wrenching tale explores love, defiance, and sacrifice in the face of unimaginable circumstances, making it a compelling addition to the literary World War II fiction genre.”——Beyond The Bookends “[A] delicate, warm account of a brutal, cold time, grounded in humanity, small details, and unwavering clarity.”——Kirkus Reviews “Grodstein makes her persecuted characters achingly human... This will stay with readers.”——Publishers Weekly "[R]ealistic, heartrending… with intimate, detailed portraits… Thought-provoking, tender, and horrifying, this memorable novel of Jewish lives in the Warsaw Ghetto offers timeless lessons."——Shelf Awareness "[A] gripping historical novel."——Washington Post "Five remarkable narrators create an unforgettable portrait of the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII. Listeners will feel as though they are witnessing history. A must-listen."—Audiofile Earphones Award Winner Expand reviews
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